Chapter 10
Kaya hurried over and helped Usopp up, worry etched on her face. "Usopp! Are you hurt? Is it serious?"
Usopp stood bashfully, then threw his hands to his hips and laughed loudly. "Of course I'm fine! Under the brilliant leadership of the great Captain Usopp, a mere Crowe was no match at all!"
"Awesome, Usopp!" Kaya praised.
Usopp melted into her gentle gaze. "Heh heh, it was nothing~"
Nami watched and muttered, "That guy basically just fired one shot the whole fight. Sol and the others did everything—why's he acting so proud?"
Sol shot back, "You're one to talk. You just stood there waving a stick around."
"How can you compare me to you monsters? I'm the navigator—the navigator!" Nami bared shark-like teeth. "And would you really let a delicate girl like me get hurt?"
"Nami looks plenty tough—not delicate at all," Luffy laughed—then got pummeled by her.
Under Kaya and Merry's surprised stares, Nami instantly switched to demure mode. "I'm not usually like this, hehe..." She turned away and pumped her fist. "Close one. Almost blew my sweet-girl act. Nice recovery, Nami."
"A-Anyway," Kaya said, pretending not to notice the outburst, "why don't you all come rest at my house? Merry can handle things here."
Merry nodded and went to alert the village chief to tie up the pirates and deliver them to the nearest Marine base.
On the walk, Kaya introduced herself properly, though she looked frail and kept coughing. Near the mansion gate, she nearly collapsed—Usopp caught her just in time.
"Kaya, your forehead's burning up! Are you running a fever?" Ignoring her startled yelp, Usopp scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way to the villa.
The guards and servants spotted Usopp—the guy who'd claimed the butler was a pirate days ago—and grabbed weapons to chase him off, especially since he was carrying Miss Kaya.
"Stop right there, Lying Usopp! Where do you think you're taking her? Put her down!" They moved to block him, but Kaya stopped them.
"Usopp wasn't lying. Klahadore really was a pirate. We all wronged him."
Usopp didn't waste words. He carried Kaya straight to her bedroom, familiar with the layout. He was about to fetch a doctor when Sol stepped forward and gently took her hand.
A soft blue glow spread from his palm. Before Usopp's awestruck eyes, Kaya's condition improved visibly—color returned to her cheeks, her breathing eased.
"I haven't felt this light in years," Kaya said gratefully. "Thank you so much, Mr. Sol. What kind of medicine was that? It's miraculous!"
Sol wiped sweat from his brow. "Not medicine—healing magic."
"Magic? That's incredible, Mr. Sol!" Kaya's eyes sparkled with wonder.
Sol's stomach growled loudly—he'd poured a lot of magic into not just curing her cold but strengthening her overall health.
Kaya giggled at the sound, then hopped out of bed with surprising energy. She felt as light as a bird.
Usopp stared in shock. "Kaya... you're really better. It's unbelievable."
Kaya bowed deeply again and led everyone downstairs to the dining room. As the wealthiest family in the village, the kitchen staff worked fast—dish after dish arrived within minutes.
Sol and Luffy attacked the spread like starving wolves. Zoro downed rum between bites of grilled meat. Usopp, already stuffed, sipped tea to settle his stomach.
Nami sat beside Kaya, twirling spaghetti. "Those two eat like bottomless pits. The food on our little boat wouldn't last them three days."
Kaya, unusually ravenous herself as if making up for years of poor health, polished off portions meant for two or three people.
Hearing Nami's complaint, she smiled. "Miss Nami, I overheard—you don't have a proper pirate ship yet. If you don't mind, I'd like to give you one of ours!"
"A pirate ship?!"
Luffy's head shot up. "What kind is it? I'm getting excited!"
"It's called the Going Merry," a voice explained. Everyone turned to see Merry returning. "A fast sailer with a sheep figurehead, triangular sails on the aft mast, and a center-mounted rudder."
He nodded to Nami. "Miss Nami, I've also had the Black Cat Pirates' treasure loaded onto your current boat as you asked."
"Thank you, Mr. Merry!" Nami beamed.
Once Luffy and Sol were finally full, Merry led them to see the ship. "I started designing her 22 years ago when I was just a boy. Construction finished only a couple years back. She was meant as a gift for Miss Kaya to sail one day... but now she belongs to you."
The moment they laid eyes on her, Luffy grabbed Sol's hand and jumped for joy. "We did it, Sol! We've got our own pirate ship!"
"You better take good care of her, Luffy," Sol said, grinning. The Merry was more than twice the size of their old boat.
Zoro's lips curved upward. "Things are moving fast. New sniper, new ship—all in one go. We'll be famous across the seas in no time!"
Usopp wasn't there—he was at the secret base for a tearful goodbye with his three little pirates. "...Never give up on your dreams. Let's swear it right here: we'll keep chasing them no matter what."
"Starting today, the Usopp Pirates are officially disbanded. I'm heading out to sea to chase my own dream." Usopp and the boys hugged and cried, but in the end they parted ways.
Back at the shore, Luffy's crew transferred supplies and treasure to the Going Merry. They decided to spend the night aboard their new home.
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